More than 80% of parents of 16- to 18-year-olds believe college is important to their child's future -- and a similar number are worried about how to pay for it. Here are a few tips that could make solving the college financing puzzle a little easier.

A host of websites exist to steer parents toward private- and government-sponsored student loans, grants and scholarships. Here are five notable sites to help cut through college aid information overload.